Brundle, the former grand prix driver and chairman of the British Racing Drivers Club, which owns the Northamptonshire circuit,
reacted furiously to Ecclestone's suggestion that the club should take over from Octagon Motorsports, the company that owns
the race rights, because it had priced everyone else out of the market.

"It is clear for anyone to see that Bernie seems to have been trying hard to destabilise the British grand prix, Silverstone and the
BRDC," said Brundle.

Last week Octagon, which bought Brands Hatch Leisure for £120m three years ago and with it the deal to run the race at
Silverstone until 2017, indicated it wanted to get out of the motor racing business. The rights to run the race could become
available at a knockdown price but Ecclestone denies wanting to buy them.

"The BRDC should run the race and be the promoter," he said yesterday. "We did a contract with them that was very cheap for
them to run. Once, the idea was to sell Silverstone. But they decided not to do it - and got someone [Octagon] to rent it out. If the
British grand prix disappears from Britain, it will be because no one can afford Silverstone's rent."

Octagon, part of the Interpublic Group of Companies in the United States, is committed to spending almost £300m to run the
British grand prix for the length of the contract.

"It's a pity Octagon entered into an agreement not knowing what the commitments were, but have no doubt they will honour
those commitments," Ecclestone added. "They knew what they were getting into - I told them not to do it. The contract is
guaranteed by Interpublic, but if no one wants to run the race then there won't be a British grand prix."

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